Beating depression, one word at a time.

ice

For many people who go through mental illnesses, self-harming is something they will be familiar with. I struggle with self-harming, and many of you reading will also struggle with self-harming. What starts off as an impulse can quickly turn into an addiction, and can lead to further problems. If you have read up on self-harming you may have heard several ways to stop it, such as hanging out with friends or the elastic band method (which sounds cool, but didn’t help me). However, trying some of these methods below in the article could be very useful.

My own attempt at origami…

1. Origami
What? Folding paper can stop me from cutting? Well, the third rule of Origami Club is to not cut (damn, I just broke the first two rules by mentioning Origami Club). Origami keeps your hands busy by folding the paper, and your mind busy while you concentrate on the instructions and crazy folds you are doing. As an added bonus you get a little creation to show off at your desk or to your friends. There are many different things to make, just search the internet.The TickleHead blog has some clever arts and crafts, including a nice origami star made out of money.

Is that one of my poems?

2. Writing A Rap Or Poem
You may want to check out these haiku’s I wrote or possibly my first posted sonnet. You may have guessed that I use this method, and even share it with the world through my blog. Writing a poem about your feelings may make you realise that you don’t need to self-harm, or freestyling an awesome rap could make you forget why you started rapping (hint: so you don’t self-harm). It has worked for me! Depending on your attention span you could choose a short poem like one of the haiku’s I wrote, or spend hours creating an epic. You are free to do whatever you want when it comes to poetry and rap.

3. The “I Learnt Random Skills From Youtube” Game
This one is not for those who give up after two minutes, but is actually a pretty interesting idea. Ever wanted to learn how to do the moonwalk? Or how to fold a shirt in 2 seconds? Well, youtube can teach you. Like the origami method this will keep you focused on the task and your body busy (depending on what you are doing). Most skills take practice, but are unbelievably impressive when you learn them. If you are not sure what you want to learn just type in “how to” and lots of different options will come up.

That’s the ice cube we are talking about!

4. Holding Ice
Okay, so you might have heard this one before, but some people haven’t. I started using this method since the police took my knife (I mentioned it in my sonnet post, check there if you forgot), and it has helped more than any other way of feeling pain. It is hard to describe unless you have tried it before, I’m not really sure if I would say it hurts actually. Complicated… Just get a small ice cube and hold it in your hand until it has melted. Cutting leaves scars while this method just leaves a little bit of water, and I’m certain some of the water magically vanished!

So now you have four methods of combatting self-harming. They might not all work for everybody, but next time you get the urge just remember what this article has taught you (bookmark it if you are forgetful). Have you tried any of these methods? Or got a secret method of your own? Share in the comments below. Part 2 will be out soon, so follow this blog to get an instant update when it’s published!